Use a combination of lump wood to heat the oven then shove a stick of wood in to make a flame 1 min before launching. The lump wood gets the core temperature close to what you need for base temp 410c ish. I use the XL fuel tray on my Karu 12, makes a big difference as can fit in more lump wood to get the base temp up and keep the base temp up, with each stick of wood to top up heat and flame and get the flame over the pizza, means you do not have any dramatic cool down moments between cooks. I did 6 pizzas on the bounce using this method !!
I use a left over floor tile when using my Karu to put the door on when it’s hot. Agree the small wood requires a lot of attention but it gives me this caveman satisfaction. For parties it sucks because it’s a time sink. Contemplating now on getting the gas accessories or building a large woodfire oven that requires a little less constant fire management. Thx for your comparison!
Nico, how long does it take you to get your gas burner up to speed? I had mine on at full noise for an hour tonight - and it didn't get to 400 degrees centigrade. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the wood burner was hotter - and it was never very hot. Am I alone in this?
There's a few issues. The gas burner is to be used with the door off and the chimney on. No need to modify the burner then. Also, using wood "from your garden" is why you're not getting any flavor. You need a dried hardwood like Applewood or Hickory and you'll absolutely smell and taste the difference. Running wood isn't hard. Top off the burn box just before you put a pizza in to keep a rolling flame while you cook, and give the stone a minute or two to reheat between pies, and hands down its better than gas. For me, the gas burner is only an option if wood is not.
Thanks for your comment, but I have to disagree in some points. Feel free to watch my other video where I show why I needed to modify the burner, then you'll understand - it's a mistake by the manufacturer... And my ooni Karu 12 with gas is to be used just like I have shown, at least that's how it's stated on Ooni's website and also in the manual.. I have used different kinds of wood, like beech, oak, apricot, cherry etc. but with a 60-90 second pizza, I don't notice a real difference. Maybe a slight smell, but not that noticeable really. However if I go for a 2 min + pizza cook, I start getting smoke flavors. Greets!
not correct. There are 2 gas burners. The ooni 3 gas burner is designed with chimney off. There is a purpose built karu 12 gas burner with a longer flame. That one is used with the chimney on. Also, using wood "from your garden" is why you're not getting any flavor. You need a dried hardwood like Applewood or Hickory and you'll absolutely smell and taste the difference. No you won't. Smoke takes a long time before it imparts any flavor. I absolutely do not taste smoke flavor when cooking a steak over charcoal, roasting a chicken over coals, cooking burgers with wood, etc. It takes a good 10+ minutes before you taste anything. Most of the smoke flavor is from char. There is a difference in how the ovens bake with wood/coals when doing low temp bakes because the gas flame is weak and the wood/coals is a much wider heat. Is it a flavor difference? No.
Great video, you said you never know we're to place the door when cooking with wood. There is a place right below the bottom of the door on the unit to hang the door . There is one also on the back we're you feed the wood 🪵
Wow.. very nice straight up comparison.. this isn't the first time I've heard 'I can't taste the difference' and that huge sniff at 4:43 still couldn't pick up a difference.. 👀 Almost to 500 subs! 🤜💥🤛
I would disagree, there’s definitely a difference in taste. I’m not a pizza snob (or anything snob. Hell I’ll eat crappy pizza too. Haha). But the wife and I both noticed a bit of a “gas taste” in the gas pizza that was not present when using wood.
The reason for not tasting the difference is because of the layout. You taste and smell the smokey flavour of normal grilled food because the juices, oil or any other liquid falling on the charcoal, making steam or smoke, which goes up and onto the food. If you have the lid closed on your grill, the smokey flavour will be more intense because it's trapped. Therefore: the reason you can't really taste any difference is because the pizza don't drip any liquid on the wood / charcoal together with the flame being above the food and the chimney letting out the smoke.
great vid. quick question: did you try to wood pellets for flame on a charcoal bed? and where do you source your woodchunks? i cant find any suitable woodchunks at hardwarestores like obi and i live in the city.
Hey! Thanks for your comment! No, I did not try to run the Ooni with pellets at all yet! Sound's like it could work though! I have some wood from a tree we had to cut down in our garden, so I guess I am lucky :D You can buy some bigger logs in a store and cut them to size with a saw, it's just some more work... Greets!
@@cbcboston you can see it at 0:43, theres a hook on the fuel door/lid that sits inside the oven when its closed. When you open the lid to add more fuel, you can hook the lid to the back plate instead of putting a blazing hot fuel lid on your table
This takes some testing and some measurements. Gas on high cooks fast and chars your toppings. Great for thin pizza that only needs minimal time on the stone to cook. Turn it down for a thicker pizza to allow for more time on the stone if your crust is thicker to avoid being too doughy. Get a digital thermo to dail in your stone temp and turn the flame up or down for the toppings...
That is a big question you ask. I have been researchen for the right wood taste for years. I had a Uuni3 for pellets and I did not taste any wood flavor. Now I got an Uuni Pro. The first pizza had a wood flavor but now I can not taste it anymore. I am also tihinking about getting a gas burner if it tastes the same then it´s much easyer to operate.
Hey! That's interesting!! Sometimes I think I can taste a wood flavor, but ONLY if I cook pizzas at a lower heat. Then they have more time in the oven to take on some smoky flavor. I can recommend gas 100%! It's very nice.
Use a combination of lump wood to heat the oven then shove a stick of wood in to make a flame 1 min before launching. The lump wood gets the core temperature close to what you need for base temp 410c ish. I use the XL fuel tray on my Karu 12, makes a big difference as can fit in more lump wood to get the base temp up and keep the base temp up, with each stick of wood to top up heat and flame and get the flame over the pizza, means you do not have any dramatic cool down moments between cooks. I did 6 pizzas on the bounce using this method !!
Great comparison video and honest opinion. Thanks.
Thanks very much! You're welcome :)
which one is more cost effecient?
I use a left over floor tile when using my Karu to put the door on when it’s hot. Agree the small wood requires a lot of attention but it gives me this caveman satisfaction. For parties it sucks because it’s a time sink. Contemplating now on getting the gas accessories or building a large woodfire oven that requires a little less constant fire management. Thx for your comparison!
Great video, to the point and quick. Tried out our Karu 12 last night with wood fire, pizza was awesome, might get the gas attachment too.
Nico, how long does it take you to get your gas burner up to speed? I had mine on at full noise for an hour tonight - and it didn't get to 400 degrees centigrade. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the wood burner was hotter - and it was never very hot. Am I alone in this?
There's a few issues. The gas burner is to be used with the door off and the chimney on. No need to modify the burner then. Also, using wood "from your garden" is why you're not getting any flavor. You need a dried hardwood like Applewood or Hickory and you'll absolutely smell and taste the difference. Running wood isn't hard. Top off the burn box just before you put a pizza in to keep a rolling flame while you cook, and give the stone a minute or two to reheat between pies, and hands down its better than gas. For me, the gas burner is only an option if wood is not.
Thanks for your comment, but I have to disagree in some points. Feel free to watch my other video where I show why I needed to modify the burner, then you'll understand - it's a mistake by the manufacturer... And my ooni Karu 12 with gas is to be used just like I have shown, at least that's how it's stated on Ooni's website and also in the manual..
I have used different kinds of wood, like beech, oak, apricot, cherry etc. but with a 60-90 second pizza, I don't notice a real difference. Maybe a slight smell, but not that noticeable really. However if I go for a 2 min + pizza cook, I start getting smoke flavors.
Greets!
not correct. There are 2 gas burners. The ooni 3 gas burner is designed with chimney off. There is a purpose built karu 12 gas burner with a longer flame. That one is used with the chimney on.
Also, using wood "from your garden" is why you're not getting any flavor. You need a dried hardwood like Applewood or Hickory and you'll absolutely smell and taste the difference.
No you won't. Smoke takes a long time before it imparts any flavor. I absolutely do not taste smoke flavor when cooking a steak over charcoal, roasting a chicken over coals, cooking burgers with wood, etc. It takes a good 10+ minutes before you taste anything. Most of the smoke flavor is from char. There is a difference in how the ovens bake with wood/coals when doing low temp bakes because the gas flame is weak and the wood/coals is a much wider heat. Is it a flavor difference? No.
Great video, you said you never know we're to place the door when cooking with wood. There is a place right below the bottom of the door on the unit to hang the door . There is one also on the back we're you feed the wood 🪵
Wow.. very nice straight up comparison.. this isn't the first time I've heard 'I can't taste the difference' and that huge sniff at 4:43 still couldn't pick up a difference.. 👀
Almost to 500 subs! 🤜💥🤛
Thanks very much! :)
Hahaha, yeah I just had to include the sniff 😂
Looking forward to 500! Road to 1k :P
I would disagree, there’s definitely a difference in taste. I’m not a pizza snob (or anything snob. Hell I’ll eat crappy pizza too. Haha). But the wife and I both noticed a bit of a “gas taste” in the gas pizza that was not present when using wood.
@@AZPatriQt do you think that the cost is worth it I might buy it?
The reason for not tasting the difference is because of the layout. You taste and smell the smokey flavour of normal grilled food because the juices, oil or any other liquid falling on the charcoal, making steam or smoke, which goes up and onto the food. If you have the lid closed on your grill, the smokey flavour will be more intense because it's trapped.
Therefore: the reason you can't really taste any difference is because the pizza don't drip any liquid on the wood / charcoal together with the flame being above the food and the chimney letting out the smoke.
Great video!
Thanks very much! :)
great vid. quick question: did you try to wood pellets for flame on a charcoal bed?
and where do you source your woodchunks? i cant find any suitable woodchunks at hardwarestores like obi and i live in the city.
Hey! Thanks for your comment!
No, I did not try to run the Ooni with pellets at all yet! Sound's like it could work though!
I have some wood from a tree we had to cut down in our garden, so I guess I am lucky :D
You can buy some bigger logs in a store and cut them to size with a saw, it's just some more work...
Greets!
The Karu is not pellet friendly, even on charcoal. They fall through the burn box. Karu is not a pellet oven.
Nice Video! Thank you!👍✨
Thanks! Glad you like it! :)
Gutes Video, du hattest in einem letzteren Video gesagt, dass im September du einen 20 % Code für die Ooni Produkte hast.
Wo kann man den finden ?
Im Moment ist mir leider kein Gutscheincode bekannt.
Alles klar
Du machst Qualitativ sehr hochwertige Videos. Mach weiter so, die Abonnenten kommen von ganz alleine.
@@dastinpeter2777 Danke für das nette Lob! :)
The fuel lid has as hook that hold it on the back of the Ooni, it’s pretty useful I was burning things before I know about it 😂
what do you mean?
@@cbcboston you can see it at 0:43, theres a hook on the fuel door/lid that sits inside the oven when its closed. When you open the lid to add more fuel, you can hook the lid to the back plate instead of putting a blazing hot fuel lid on your table
@@ericbarone7957 ah I see. Ty. I use propane now.
When you launch your pizza into the Gas Karu, do you turn down the burner? Or do you keep it on high blast the entire time?
This takes some testing and some measurements. Gas on high cooks fast and chars your toppings. Great for thin pizza that only needs minimal time on the stone to cook. Turn it down for a thicker pizza to allow for more time on the stone if your crust is thicker to avoid being too doughy. Get a digital thermo to dail in your stone temp and turn the flame up or down for the toppings...
That is a big question you ask.
I have been researchen for the right wood taste for years.
I had a Uuni3 for pellets and I did not taste any wood flavor.
Now I got an Uuni Pro. The first pizza had a wood flavor but now I can not taste it anymore.
I am also tihinking about getting a gas burner if it tastes the same then it´s much easyer to operate.
Hey! That's interesting!!
Sometimes I think I can taste a wood flavor, but ONLY if I cook pizzas at a lower heat. Then they have more time in the oven to take on some smoky flavor.
I can recommend gas 100%! It's very nice.
Only wood !! The best experience.
Door is just marketing . You have to turn pizza after 90 sec
Door super heavy 🤣🤣🤣
Man ...if you say is no difference between wood fired and gas you hav a problem with your taste, go check it out!